washington dc

Recently the DC Cannabis Campaign announced that they will be handing out 4,200 free joints at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20th.

They plan to light and smoke the joints four minutes and 20 seconds into Trump’s speech. Now, DC Mayor Murial Bowser, a support of legalization, says it’s unlikely those smoking at the event will be arrested.

In DC the possession and use of up to two ounces of cannabis is legal for those 21 and older, with the cultivation of up to six plants also being legal. However, smoking in public remains a misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail, so technically anyone lighting up at the event could still be arrested and charge. Bowser’s announcement is likely to ease the fears of many, and increase the turnout of those who will attend.

A massive cannabis protest and smoke-out will be taking place tomorrow, April 2, in front of the White House. The event is being ran by the D.C. Cannabis Campaign, the organization that successfully legalized cannabis in the district through a voter-approved initiative in 2014. The group is calling on President Obama to reschedule cannabis – which he has the legal authority to do – as well as pardon Americans currently in prison for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses.

“President Obama has the power to use his authority to reschedule cannabis”, the group said in their announcement of the event. “But recent reports have shown that he has no plans to change the status quo and, frankly, that is just pitiful.”